Starting with Kevin Durant's epic performance at Harlem's Rucker Park a few weeks after the NBA Finals, and culminating in a veritable All-Star game in a Baltimore gym last Tuesday, the majority of basketball-related headlines have focused on these exhibitions, and not the labor strife that will torpedo the NBA come fall.

NBA players have played summer pickup games at places like Rucker and the UCLA Men's Gym for years. But this year, street ball has been more visible than ever before.

There are a lot of factors that go into this rise in popularity — increased access to YouTube highlights of the games, the likeability of the current crop of NBA stars, and the smashing success of the post-Decision NBA, to name a few.

But no matter the reason, these games helped the league avoid a big PR hit this summer.